Roller-skate wheel



Feb. 17, 1953 H. F. WHITCOMB, JR 2,628,869

ROLLER-SKATE WHEEL Filed Jan. 20, 1950 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 2,628,869,.n e ROLLER-SKATE WE IQEL I Henry F. Whitcomb, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis;.; Margaret'Whitcomb, executrix of said rHenry F.

Whitcomb, Jr., deceased;=assignor to Globe- Union Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application January The present invention relates to improvements "in'rolle'r skate'wheels, and particularly toan improved ball bearing cup .structure and its attachmejnt to a wheel shell.

*fThe principal object of the invention is to provide a' baH bearing cup of simple construction *which "can be readily and conveniently applied in cup-shaped recess formed in a wheel shell madeof wood, fiber, or other suitable materials, I and which, when so applied, will resist any tend- 'ency of the cup to work loose in the wheel shell, i "there being tangs formed on the cup which are p'artiall'y embedded in the material of the wheel fshell t'o provide a positive interlocking engage- --"ment' between the bearing cu and the wheel -shell',the interlocking engagement being such as to prevent both rotational and axial movements of the cuprelative to the wheel shell.

*The invention may be described briefly as comprising a roller skate wheel shell made of any 1 "suitable materialresistant to wear, yet workable, such for example as wood, pressed fiber, and the like. In each face of the wheel shell there is formed a recess, ordinarily of hemispherical "shapahaving a radially enlarged axially intermediate po-rtion in the form of a V-shaped groove.

I A cup member for containing anti-friction bearing elements and'conforming to the shape ofthe recess in the wheel shell, is positioned in'said recess and the relation between the depth of the cup and the distance from the axially outer edge of the V-shaped groove when the cup is seated inthe recess. The rim portion of the cup is proends project into the V-shaped groove. In their Pmovement to their normal operative positions, the ends of the tongues cut or shave away some of the shell material and thus form'transverse grooves in the outer face of the V=-shapedg-roove. The tongues, because of their position relative to thegroove, begin their cutt ng action after the cutting, edges have passed beyond the edge of the groove, as shown best in'Figs. 3 and 4 of the .drawing; "When the'tongues have been moved :to. the positions indicated, the'endedges :abut. the ,bottoms of the grooves thus formed, preventing axial movement of the cup relative to the wheel;

20, Serial No. 139,650

2 Claims. (01. 301--5.7)

. and the ends of the side edges of the tongues engage the side surfaces of the transverse rooves cut in the outer face of the V-shaped groove by "the" outward spreading movement of the tongues and thereby provide; an interlocking engagement between the cup and shell which effectively prevents relative rotational movement between the cup and shell. The cup is thus securely anchored in'the'wheel shell. Of course, the cup and shell are-apertured or bored to accommodate an axle or the like.

*A'further object of the invention includes the .ele'ments being formed for cooperative inter- "locking engagement, which method includes outward bending of tongues on the cup into an enlarged recess portion in the shell, with the ton ues in their movement modifying the shell by cutting away shell material to form anchoring grooves. Other and, further objects, advantages, and

features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of one embodiment thereof, together with the accompanying drawings, in which? Fig; 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the forward part of a roller skateincluding a wheel formed in accordance with the invention; the wheel being shown partly in section to illustrate from' thev-shaped groove to the bottom of the r recess is suchthat the outer edge of the cup extends slightly outwardly from the said outer edge f: the assembly certain features of the invention.

Fig. 2 ispan axial cross-section of a shell for a 'wheel such as shown in Fig. 1, with a pair of cups in position for insertion therein;

Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, showing two 'cupsgone partially assembled and the other completely assembled with the shell;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing of the completed wheel on an axle;

' Fig. 5 Lean enlarged fragmentary'view of a Fig. 1 certainconventional constructions including'the front part of a roller skate, including a itne plate It, the forward portion of a bridge II ghavihg its end bent downwardly,'a truck socket plate l2 with a front socket l3 on the lower end of which the bridge ll bears, and a bracket I 5 which supports the front axle and has'one end secured in the socket l3 and the other end extending rearwardly to support a resil ent buffer 16 disposedbeneath the front end ofthe bridge A mi I. A suitable bolt, I] extends through .theirear,

end of the bracket l5, bufier I6. and front end of the bridge I I, and is threadedly secured in the socket M to hold the parts in assembly. A nut I8 may be threaded on the bolt below the bridge I l to hold the latter firmly against the socket I4, regardless of the action of the buffer l6. Rivets I9 or the like may be employed to secure the bridge II and socket plate [2 to the toe plate Ill. The usual clamping element is provided for securing the skate to the skaters shoe, and is operated by the usual screw 2! having a squared end for cooperation with a conventional skate key. The construction as so far described is more or less conventional, and may be varied as desired without affecting the invention.

The present invention is directed to construetions embodied in the skate wheels, one of which is indicated generally at 22. The body of the wheel, or shell 23, may be of any suitable material which may be readily worked, wood and fibrous materials being most commonly employed, although other materials having the desired properties may be used. The shell 23 is formed in each side face with a cup-shaped recess 24 in each face, which recess is circular and centered on the shell axis, and is enlarged at a portion intermediate its axially inner and outer ends. The enlarged portion 25 may be in the form of an annular groove preferably of general V-shape which opens into the main portion of the recess,

as shown. A bore 2%) extends through the shell 23 between the said cup-shaped recesses to accommodate the axle.

A hearing cup 21 is provided for insertion in each recess 24 and is of a shape conforming generally to the recess 2G, in this case generally hemispherical. The cup may be of any suitable material, although hardened steel is preferable since the cup provides one bearing surface for a series of antifric-ticn ball bearing elements 38. Although the cup conforms generally to the shape of the recess, it is of less depth. Specifically, the depth of the cup 2'! is slightly greater than the axial distance from the axially outer edge of the enlarged recess portion 25 to the bottom of the recess, or in other words to the adjacent end of the bore 26. The bottom of the cup is provided with an aperture 23 to accommodate the wheel axle. A series of tongues 25 are formed by slitting the rim portion of the cup 21 at spaced locations as indicated at 39, so that the slits which extend from the cup rim toward its bottom terminate at an intermediate location.

In assembling the cups and shell, the cups are first seated in the recesses 24, the ends of the tongues 23 and wall portions 3| projecting slightly outwardly beyond the enlarged recess portions 25, by reason of the depth relationship previously explained. This is best shown by the upper portion at the left-hand cup of Fig. 3. After a cup 21 has been seated in its recess, the tongues 29 are forced radially outwardly, by any suitable means, toward the inner side face of the enlarged recess portion 25. Obviously, since the ends of the tongues when bent outwardly engage on inclined wall of the recess 25, they must cut or shave away the material of the shell 23 in their movement to their final locking positions and thus form grooves 32 whose axes lie in planes which pass substantially through the wheel axis.

. In such position, the tongues accomplish, at least theoretically, the interlocking engagement contemplated, but for the purpose of rigidity, I prefer to bend the said tongues into engagement with the bottom of the groove. In the final position of the tongues, they lie against the axially inner surface of the enlarged portion 25 of the recess, 01 substantially so, and their ends are engaged in the grooves 32 which they have cut as described. As will be clear particularly by reference to Figs. 1 and 5, the end edges of the tongues 29 abut the bottoms of the grooves 32 adjacent the inner face of the recess portion 25, and thus prevent the cup 2? and shell 23 from moving axially relative to each other. The end portions of the side edges of the tongues engage the sides of the grooves 32, and thus prevent relative rotational movement of the shell and cup. The engagement of the cup wall portions 3! against the surface of the recess and the general conformity of the cup to the recess, of course prevent relative radial movement of the cup and shell. The cup 29 is thus positively and securely anchored in the shell 23, and developement of looseness and play between these parts is prevented even under the stress of hard usage.

Bearing cups previously employed have been formed with rigid wedge-like projections which extend outwardly from the cup and intended to anchor the cup in its seated position in the shell, but since such projections are of wedge shape and gouged the shell material as the cup is'moved axially into the recess, there was no solid uncut material against which they can abut to prevent the cup moving axially outwardly. Again, since such projections were relatively small and sharp, they rather readily cut into the shell material under relative rotational stress, forming paths in which they could move to permit rotational play between the cup and shell. The cost of forming and assembling the shell and cup in accordance with the present invention is not appreciably greater than with the prior constructions, and eliminates the disadvantage of looseness which often required discarding and replacement of wheels long before they were worn out.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated the mounting of the wheel 22 on an axle. The axle 33 of the skate has a reduced portion 34 and a further reduced and threaded end portion 35. The axle portions 34 and 35 are flattened at 36 and 3'1, respectively, as best shown in Fig. 6. Ball bearings 38 are retained between each cup and a suitable bearing zone 39. The cone is arranged therein so that the bearings roll between the cup and the cone in the usual manner. A reduced portion 34 of the axle extends through the cones '33, the apertures 28 of the cups, and the bore 23 of the shell. A washer 40 is disposed on the reduced end 35 of the axle and held against the outer cone 39. It will be understood that the shoulder between the axle portions 34 and 35 limits the pressure which may be applied to the various bearing elements by means of the nut 4|. A suitable washer 42 may be interposed between the axially inner cone 39 and the shoulder between the reduced portion 34 of the axle and the main part of the axle 33. The cones and washers are formed to engage the flattened portions 35 and 31 of the axle portions 34 and 35 to be held thereby against rotation with the shell. Of course, other conventional means might be employed to accomplish the same purpose. Similarly, the particular bearing elements and mounting means for the wheel 22 may vary from those illustrated without afiecting the invention.

I claim:

1. A wheel comprising a non-metallic body of material suitable for work-cutting, said body having a cup-shaped recess disposed ccaxially of said wheel, the wall of said recess intermediate its ends having formed therein an annular V- shaped groove the bottom of which is of greater diameter than said recess to provide an axially outer face sloping axially outwardly from the bottom of said groove to the wall of said recess. said face having a groove formed therein, and a metallic bearing cup seated in said recess with its outer end positioned axially outwardly of said face, a pair of spaced slits extending axially inwardly from the rim of said cup, the metal between said slits being bent radially outwardly of said cup to form a tongue positioned in said second groove, the outer end of said tongue being tightly seated within said second groove to prevent relative rotational movement between said cup and said body.

2. A wheel comprising a non-metallic body of material suitable for work-cutting, said body having a cup-shaped recess disposed coaxially of said wheel, the wall of said recess intermediate its ends having formed therein an annular V-shaped groove the bottom of which is of greatouter face sloping axially outwardly from the HENRY F. WHITCOMB, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,784 Staples Apr. 7, 1925 1,808,047 Littleton June 2, 1931 1,886,431 Seelback Nov. 8, 1932 1,903,776 Clark Apr. 18, 1933 2,152,684 Grange Apr. 4, 1939 2,261,465 Grange Nov. 4, 1941 2,300,444 Ware Nov. 3, 1942 2,333,400 Ware Nov. 2, 1943 2,476,193 Hirschmugl July 12, 1949 

